The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
A traditional known approach to gas power train design is to mount the gas or diesel engine and transaxle to the vehicle chassis/frame structure or other vehicle structure independently. Other known designs utilize a common platform such as a tray or pan connected to the vehicle chassis/frame structure or other vehicle structure to mount the engine and transaxle to the vehicle. In both instances, power is transferred from the engine power take off (e.g., output shaft) to the transaxle input shaft via external clutches (e.g., a continuously variable transmission (CVT)) connected to the engine and/or transaxle via a CVT belt. For example, in various traditional powertrain designs the engine is mounted to the vehicle using an isolator on the vehicle chassis and the same is done to mount the transaxle. With such isolator mounted configurations, it is critical to keep the CVT clutches' center distance fixed. This requirement is crucial for a predictable CVT system performance.
Such known designs generally include many parts and components that increase costs and are known to generate significant undesirable engine and powertrain vibration that is transmitted to the vehicle.